Best Dart House (2003)

About two decades ago, when there were only a few dart bars around, darts enthusiast Ron Towne went from managing the original Sherlock's Pub to founding the one bearing his name. Ron's Pub doesn't sponsor regular traveling league teams and isn't a major tournament host -- it's simply the best neutral turf in town for darters. The serious practitioners come here on their nights off because they know they'll find quality opponents and an open board. (On the off chance that the boards are full, they simply play at the adjacent Whitehorse Tavern.) The unique thing about Ron's is that it's become darts central for women, many of whom hold their own against the best male players. In fact, the Dart Bitch Challenge, where the femmes target a male regular in a madcap evening of get-even fun, is now in its second decade. Ron died a few years ago, but his dart set remains enshrined here -- and his darting spirit has to be smiling over this intimate and engaging scene for the sport.